“It was a joke”: The origins of AC/DC’s satanic ‘Highway to Hell’
The satanic panic was a very real thing. Though we may look at the claims that were hoisted onto the likes of AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and The Beatles with a hint of amusement now, at the time, there was a real fear that children and the simple-minded would be converted to a life of satanism through the power of rock. It didn’t exactly help that people like Angus Young decided to grow devil horns and pose angrily for album covers.
The origin of the satanic panic is, unsurprisingly, deeply rooted in religion. Ezekiel 28:13 reads, “The workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.” Essentially, your voice and musical ability are a gift from God, which is why so many people decide to commit to God through the power of song.
This makes sense for many people. Regardless of where you are in the world and how significant a language barrier may be, music can act as an interim translator. It remains a universal language, as people, regardless of their background, can communicate on some surface level through sound.
Ahmed Abdullah, one of the trumpeters for Sun Ra, said he believed if there is a God and they were to send someone to Earth, they would send a musician because of the universal nature of music. “It makes sense to me that if the Creator sent anyone here, it would be a person who had mastered music, the planet’s universal language,” he said, “Sound is the beginning of all creation, the Nomma, the Om, and the Nam that direct our lives.”
Of course, where you have the good, you have the bad. With heaven also comes hell, and therefore, a lot of people thought that if music could be used to spread the word of God, it could also be used to promote Satan. After all, Lucifer was originally the leader of God’s choir, so when he fell from heaven, it would make sense for him to start making music, which was the antithesis of praise. For many, this was the origin of rock ‘n’ roll.
The harsh sound, supposed hidden messages and rugged look of the musicians who made it meant that a lot of listeners believed rock bands were the spawn of Satan and needed to be stopped at all costs. When you look at it now, these hidden messages were so hidden that they can still hardly be seen or heard when they’re pointed out, and the satanic panic was more a reaction to a new extreme sound of music as opposed to an actual religious uprising.
That being said, just because the idea was silly didn’t mean that rock bands didn’t play into it. AC/DC certainly did, making a joke out of those who thought a distorted guitar foreshadowed the end of the world. This is best reflected on their album Highway To Hell, which saw the band celebrate their rejection from heaven and had Angus Young grow devil horns.
“That was a result of being asked what we’d call one of our tours, and I replied, ‘A highway to hell!’ It was a joke again!” Laughed Angus Young when asked about the inspiration for the album and cover, “When we arrived in America, I didn’t know what a fundamentalist was, and I didn’t really care. All that satanic stuff is more groups pretending because it goes with their image.”
Young continued to talk about the concept of heaven and hell, reaffirming that while he may not be religious and believe in that which was being promoted by the band if given a choice, he would head to hell any day. “If someone talked to me on a religious scale about heaven, I wouldn’t enjoy a place like that. I mean, what’s going on there? I couldn’t hack it!” He said, “A couple of angels, a lot of peace and love – it doesn’t sound like much fun, or that there’d be any rock music for a start! If the other place has got rock music and a few mini-skirts, then, hey, I’m the first member!”
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